The role of photodegradation in the environmental fate of hydroxychloroquine

Abstract

For many organic pollutants present in surface waters, photolysis is considered as a major abiotic degradation process. The present study aimed to explore the role of photolysis in the environmental fate of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) for the first time. The photolytic degradation of HCQ was investigated under simulated solar radiation (300–800 nm) in ultrapure, spring, river, and sea water. The effect of pH on the photodegradation rate was substantial and it was observed that degradation was faster at higher pH-values. Obtained half-lives ranged from 5.5 min at pH 9 to 23.1 h at pH 4. Humic acids, nitrate and iron(III) enhanced photodegradation of HCQ due to formation of hydroxyl radicals and its attack on HCQ molecule. In contrast, chloride, sulfate and bromide inhibited photodegradation. Additionally, the humic acids exhibited a dual role, photosensitization and inner filter effect. The study of the reaction kinetics was performed with HPLC-PDA, while the identification of degradation products formed during photolytic degradation was carried out using HPLC-MS/MS and NMR spectroscopy. The hydroxylation was recognized as the dominant path of photoproducts formation. The results of this research reveal the importance of photolytic degradation in environmental fate of HCQ and enable a better understanding of its behavior in the environment. Moreover, the results showing the significant effect of pH on the photodegradation of HCQ can be very useful in water treatment processes.